familiar ; draco malfoy

CHAPTER TEN

Ramona and Romeo were laying on the grass on the castle grounds, catching the last rays of sun before fall came to an end. It was already cold out but the unusually sunny day lured them out of the castle walls.

The harsh rays prevented Ramona from opening her eyes , blinding her to her surroundings. She'd try to open them every once in a while, wanting to be as pure as the light that bathed her.

They didn't spend much time talking, but rather enjoying each others company. They found each others presences comforting and the comfort of just sitting in silence was something that they both needed. It was the only time that week that they felt at peace, both troubled by their own worries, both feeling as if there was a certain kind of tension in the air.

The kind of tension that came before something bad was about to happen, but neither of them could express exactly what they felt. The kind of tension that slept in your gut and made you feel as if your insides were tingling.

The tension that came was the same as each year before Ramona's birthday.

Romeo was still too young to understand a lot of things, especially the kind of things that troubled his sister. But he could see it sitting on her shoulders, not letting her rest. He could see it in the gleam of her eye, the familiar absence that she often exhibited. Her birthday was behind the corner and Romeo didn't exactly remember if she had ever had a birthday party. It was around the time her father died, that was the only thing he knew. Whenever he asked questions about why his sister never had birthday parties and why her birthday was never celebrated, his mother would only give him one particular answer each year: "Mona's father died around her birthday. She doesn't want to celebrate, darling."

That was the only thing Romeo knew. He never asked much about his sister's birth father, given that her relationship with her stepfather was one she cherished. He didn't want to ask many questions especially because anytime he brought him up, Ramona would just tell him to mind his own business. She was never mean to him, no, she never even yelled at him once in her life, but whenever he brought up a question about her father Ramona would turned uncharacteristically cold and not speak to him at all.

Romeo learned over the years just not to ask questions, but it was eating him up inside. He didn't know the name of his sister's father, he didn't know who he was, how he died or why Ramona was in such a bad mood whenever her birthday came around. He wanted to know more, he was a curious boy, and he cared about his sister more than anyone in the world.

Ramona could never fathom even imagining that her brother would one day find out who her real father had been. She saw the man as nothing but a monster, she saw him as someone who completely destroyed her and her entire life. She was content with Romeo not knowing anything and she hoped it would stay that way.

Only three people in the world knew exactly what happened and how it happened- Ramona, her mother and her aunt. Romeo was safe knowing what he knew- which was virtually nothing.

Ramona had once had a different life and a different name. A life she didn't remember fondly.

Except him. Except the white-haired, stone-faced boy who she was not ready to let go of when she did. The only other person who could grasp what it meant to grow up as they did.

"Can I get you something for your birthday?" Romeo asked.

"Why?"

"Because you never get presents. You never want presents. I want to give you something," Romeo said carefully, looking at his sister.

She was laying with her eyes closed, hands crossed behind her head. The grass was scratching her exposed forearms and her ankles, but she enjoyed the feel of it.